Medical professionals such as physicians, surgeons medical technicians and nurses, often wear protective clothing to shield them from bodily fluids expelled from patients. Typically, this type of clothing is manufactured in the form of medical gowns, laboratory coats, face masks and the like.
In the past, medical gowns have been made of woven cotton materials. However, this type of material did not prevent the passage of fluids. Hence, in an effort to restrict the passage of fluids, garments have more recently been made of blends of cotton and polyester. However, this material still remains semi-permeable to fluids.
In a further effort to prevent fluid passage a fluorocarbon finish has been applied to polyester cotton blend materials. While this initially aids in resisting fluid passage, the fluorocarbon finish quickly deteriorates in the intense and prolonged environmental heat produced during hot water washing and steam sterilization of garments. Furthermore, fluids upon the surface of the material may still pass through when pressure is applied to the material as, for example, when a surgeon wearing the gown leans against an operating table.
It has also been desirable for medical garments to be capable of protecting the wearer from viruses. The aforementioned materials have not possessed this capability. However, a material which is both viral resistant and liquid resistant has been developed by W. L. Gore Associates, Inc. of Newark, Del. and sold under the name GORE-TEX, and more recently GORE. This material is comprised of a polytetrafluoroethalene film that is coated on each side with a hydrophobic coating such as that sold by DuPont Polymers of Wilmington, Del. under the name HYTREL. However, with a number of washing and sterilization cycles this material also deteriorates so as to allow the passage of liquids and viruses therethrough. This material is also quite expensive.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a liquid and viral impermeable material with enhanced resistance to degradation during washing and steam sterilization and which may be manufactured on a cost efficient basis. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.